People Will Talk
by Scifiroots
Summary: Set during the season two episode “Zion,” folks from Bruce’s hometown start gossiping about Johnny and why Bruce brought him along.


People Will Talk

**Author**: Clarity Scifiroots  
**Fandom/Pairings**: The Dead Zone – Johnny/Bruce (pre-slash)  
**Request**: lizzypaul's "coming out" challenge... in a way. And actually fills sorta my own request, too. ;; I have been meaning to finish this sort of piece for a while now.  
**Disclaimers Apply.  
Summary**: Set during the season two episode "Zion," folks from Bruce's hometown start gossiping about Johnny and why Bruce brought him along.  
(much of this story written in February 2005)

"Ain't he dressed up all nice?"

"A'course he would be, this _is_ a formal occasion. I just wonder what he looks like regularly."

"Mmm, I love his hair. Wait, I saw that man earlier at the funeral—who is he?"

"Girl, ain't you heard yet? He's here for _moral_ _support_."

The eldest of the group, although not very old at thirty-five, snorted loudly. "Moral support? Hardly! That man's a piece of fine ass."

"Anna, you're just guessing. Bruce never swung that way!"

"I don't know, he always was lookin' for something new," Ella said with a wink. She cast a surreptitious glance towards the stranger whose pale skin stood out in the gathering of the church's black community. "He picked a nice one to try out."

"You're just as bad!" the third woman exclaimed helplessly.

Anna waved off her concerns. "You're denying past evidence, hun."

"And what would that be?"

"What better way to rebel…?" Anna let the question trail off suggestively.

"Aww, I think we're not giving them a chance," Ella said. "After all, why just take along a toy?" She had been keeping tabs on the whereabouts of Bruce and his friend throughout the conversation. "Besides, can't you see the connection? He _is_ here for moral support… and probably more."

"You're a romantic," Anna chastised, rolling her eyes.

"I feel just terrible for Mrs. Lewis. God rest Pastor Lewis' soul, his missus will be awful lonely. Just look what that boy brought back—it's disgraceful! He should at least have the decency to wait some time for her to mourn."

"You're not—heaven forbid! Bruce always was a reckless child, but he comes from good sense! No, surely you're wrong."

"Oh? Have you seen them together? They don't even try to hide it! I hope his poppa ain't lookin' down right now, it's enough to break a man's pride."

"Stop being so drastic, Priscilla," one of the younger grandmothers scolded gently. "Bruce has a very different life, I'm sure, and unless he or his mother decides to share, we shouldn't talk about such things."

"So…"

"Yeah. Did you catch his name?"

"Something… plain. John something. You don't think…?"

"Bruce, man? Are you kidding!"

"I wasn't… You know, it's just—have you been listening to those other conversations?"

"Bruce, hey. It's been a long time, man."

"Heh, Mike. Wow." They exchanged a long hug. "You look good! Where have you been?"

"Not far. I'm over in Chicago working in a nice corner office with windows…."

Bruce chuckled. "Never pegged you for sitting around, man."

Mike shrugged with a good-natured smile. "Hey, things can change." His eyes panned over the crowd of many fanciful women's hats and heads of dark, curly hair, finally locking on the only blond. He kept his eyes on the man as he muttered, "Things can sure change."

Bruce frowned and maneuvered himself to take a look for himself. Feeling confused and a little bit wary, he said, "John? What do you mean?" He groaned in frustration. "You can't be like my mom and wondering about 'black folks' up North? You're in Chicago, man!"

Mike refocused his gaze and laughed. "Nah, not what I meant at all. Your ma givin' you a hard time still? You know she just misses havin' you close."

Sighing, Bruce gave a small shrug in acknowledgement.

After a lengthy pause, Mike said quietly, "Is there… something you want to share about this 'friend' of yours?"

Startled, Bruce gave him a considering look. "Like what?" Mike remained silent. "Look, Mike, this is the first semi-normal conversation I've had all day, help me out! What do you mean? Everyone keeps giving me these strange looks and knowing glances. What is it that you're all thinking?"

Mike's lips twitched dangerously towards a smile. "I think you answered my question, and I definitely think you need to get in the know. Man, you have no idea what it looks like, do you?" Bruce's impatient glare was a clear enough answer. Mike lowered his voice, "You two seem to have been attached at the hip until now. Everyone's convinced you're bein' dramatic to make a point or really have somethin' going on—either way, bangin' in the bedroom's involved."

"What?" Bruce hissed through clenched teeth, which helped to keep his voice down. "How can you…? Man, you know me!"

Mike chuckled at his friend's expense and slung his arm around Bruce's shoulders. "Hey, don't worry. Have you forgotten how gossip is loved by one and all? Be a player and sacrifice yourself; it'll keep people's minds occupied for a time."

"Except they'll all be _wrong_!" Bruce argued, glaring up at Mike as he was dragged toward the back door.

"Calm down, man. Let's get some air."

"What are you searching for, Bruce? And couldn't you find it here?" Dr. McCants asked. He wore a false smile as he none-too-subtly worked on guilt-tripping Bruce into returning home.

Bruce kept a neutral expression for as long as he could and excused himself as soon as possible.

He couldn't shake the memory of the day he left home and the argument with his father.

_I never heard the angel, Daddy! …Nobody has a destiny. We're all just stumbling around in the dark._

Bruce felt overcrowded, as if his skin wasn't the right size for him. He knew by now that he couldn't just blame it on his mixed emotions regarding his father's passing; Mike's explanation had him attempting to analyze every look he saw cast Johnny's way. Maybe he should have done some sort of formal introduction of his friend, but he had never thought it would be necessary.

But he knew that still wasn't the whole story.

_What are you searching for?_

It didn't take long for Johnny to track him down. John spoke only a little and let Bruce vent some of his frustrations and insecurities into the open air.

Bruce sighed as he stood over the casket and brushed his fingers lightly over his father's still face. "I'm sorry I let you down, Daddy," he whispered.

He heard Johnny's soft footsteps and felt his friend's hand on his shoulder for but a moment before he was suddenly tossed into a rush of images—somehow he was falling into one of Johnny's visions.

/ _During the Vision_ \\

In the midst of anxiety and confusion, Bruce found himself suddenly calm when his father entered the room in the strange un-reality—he was probably coming to see what had gone on at the dinner table.

"I am different today. In more ways than I can explain. You have no idea how hard... You have no idea how hard I've tried all my life to find the answers... that I could never find here. As though the search for meaning itself would somehow bring me closer to you." He paused for a long time. "I...see myself through your eyes, Daddy. I want you to be proud of me. No matter what else happens, I'm glad I had the chance to tell you."

Bruce looked up into his father's dark eyes that were currently filled with wonder and confusion. _I have seen the angel, Daddy._

"Is he really an angel?" Bruce's father asked, studying the frozen image of his son and Johnny hugging at his funeral.

Bruce smiled gently. "I don't know. Maybe. This is his vision we're in."

"Are you sure…?"

"I'm standing at my father's funeral talking to him in an alternate reality," Bruce said in exasperation. "I'm not sure of anything."

"Would it surprise you to know that I talked to my father at his funeral? It's not so unusual. People do it all the time."

Bruce gave his father a skeptical look. "What happened today, to us… it was _unusual_."

His father inclined his head in acknowledgement. "It was a blessing…angel or not." He glanced again at Johnny.

Bruce stared at his frozen self, studying the way his arms seemed to wrap naturally around Johnny's torso. He knew what the man's hug felt like; in fact he knew most of Johnny's touches. Would it really be such a dramatic step to feel a lover's touch?

The thought did not seem quite as surprising as perhaps it should.

"You were wrong about one thing," his father said, interrupting his thoughts. "We're not all just stumbling around in the dark. You found your destiny," he nodded at Johnny, "at his side. Protecting him."

Bruce held back a shiver. Quietly he said, "If I don't come back, she'll lose the church, the house."

Laughing, his father responded, "Before everyone decides what's best for Rose Lewis they better talk to _her_. She's been after me to retire for years! Got a nest egg, wants to see God's earth before she dies. Guess she'll see it without me..."

Father and son looked at one another for a long beat.

Bruce said, "I don't know how to say goodbye."

His father smiled peacefully. "Sure you do."

They hugged tightly. Bruce could feel the strange wild rush of air he felt earlier, signaling a change within the Zone.

/ \\\

He returned to the present with a sudden gasp. He took a step back in surprise, disrupting the hand Johnny had put on his shoulder before the vision had started.

"Hey, you okay?" Johnny asked.

Bruce searched Johnny's eyes, relieved to see concern and warmth instead of the steely, closed expression that he had faced in the other reality.

"You didn't see all that?" Bruce asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"All of what?"

"It had to be a vision, didn't it?"

Johnny blinked in confusion. "You had a vision? How did I miss this?"

Bruce cracked a smile, and then glanced at his father laid out in the casket. He caught sight of movement out the corner of his eye and turned around quickly. "Don't you touch me!" he exclaimed, only partially serious. He chuckled a little at Johnny's surprised expression. "Man, I like it here. And you _need_ me here."

Johnny gave him a strange smile. "Um… I can't argue with you there."

Bruce caught his breath, wondering for a moment if he was really out of the vision. He searched Johnny's eyes for some sign, but all he found was his own insecurities reflected.

Finally Johnny broke the silence. "You're probably missed. Don't you think you should go back?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess," Bruce said. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, grateful that the tension from earlier was starting to ease. "Come on, John. I swear it's not going to be that much longer." He could see the hesitation in Johnny's eyes and took a guess as to why; "I'll explain the looks later." Yup, that had been the problem.

Johnny eyed him suspiciously and took a step forward.

Bruce jumped back and held up his hands. "Hey! No touching, I'll count that as cheating!"

Johnny snorted eloquently and rolled his eyes.

** Fin **

**(for now)**


End file.
